All-In-One Toothbrush

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a toothbrush which stores and dispenses toothpaste. The toothbrush is available in four different designs. A first design features a slider mechanism for moving toothpaste onto the bristles. A second design features a plunger disposed at the bottom of housing/handle for applying toothpaste to the bristles. A third and fourth design features a vacuum release mechanism which pulls toothpaste from the housing onto the bristles. Each design features a hollow body in the form of a reservoir or a cartridge which stores toothpaste. The toothbrush which stores and dispenses toothpaste is more economical and space-saving than conventional independent toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S.Provisional Application No. 63/127,176, which was filed on Dec. 18, 2020and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of toothbrushes.More specifically, the present invention relates to a uniquely designedall-in-one toothbrush device that dispenses toothpaste as per a user'swants and/or needs. The all-in-one toothbrush device comprises a hollowhandle for storing a toothpaste cartridge and/or toothpaste and whereinthe handle is connected to a brush head having bristles for brushing auser's teeth. The all-in-one toothbrush device features differentmechanisms such as a sliding button, syringe and vacuum release buttonin order to dispense toothpaste stored in the hollow handle to thebristles of the brush head. The improved toothbrush of the presentinvention offers a way to store toothpaste and a toothbrush in a compactmanner, thereby effectively saving space in a bathroom or luggage bag.Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto.Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the presentinvention are also equally applicable to other like applications,devices and methods of manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

By way of background, oral care routines typically consist of brushingand flossing teeth to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For teeth brushing,users require a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. However, it may bedifficult to always remember to carry toothpaste while traveling.Further, if a user forgets toothpaste they may be unable to brush theirteeth. Additionally, toothbrushes and toothpaste can take upconsiderable space in a bathroom drawer, sink top, or in a luggage bagwhile traveling.

Conventional toothbrushes comprise a handle connected to a brush headhaving bristles, wherein toothpaste is typically dispensed/applied tothe bristles for brushing a user's teeth. To dispense or applytoothpaste on the bristles, a user generally squeezes the toothpastetube while positioning the tube opening over the bristles. However, itmay be difficult for children or other users with limitedstrength/dexterity to squeeze a toothpaste tube themselves and they mayneed assistance from others.

Devices such as toothpaste dispensers are available in the market andcan be used for automatically dispensing toothpaste over the bristles ofthe toothbrush. Typically, the toothpaste dispensers are mounted on abathroom wall or other similar place, wherein a user can place thebristles of their toothbrush under the dispenser to receive apredetermined amount of toothpaste on their toothbrush. However,toothbrush dispensers are not portable and cannot be carried along withusers while traveling. Thus, some users desire a portable solution forautomatically dispensing toothpaste on a toothbrush.

Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a uniquelydesigned toothbrush device that eliminates the need to keep or carrytoothpaste tubes along with a toothbrush. There is also a long-felt needin the art for an improved toothbrush device that allows users to easilydispense and use toothpaste without keeping separate toothpaste tubes inevery bathroom. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for atoothpaste dispensing mechanism that saves drawer space, sink top space,or space within a luggage bag. Additionally, there is a long-felt needin the art for a uniquely designed toothbrush device that offers a wayto store both a toothbrush and a toothpaste tube in a compact manner andeffectively saves space in bathrooms/luggage bags. Finally, there is along-felt need in the art for a toothpaste dispensing solution that canbe easily used by children and users with limited strength/dexterity andprevents said users from needing assistance from others.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodimentthereof, comprises a refillable toothbrush device that is configured tostore and dispense toothpaste. The stored toothpaste is dispensed on thebristles of the device using a sliding mechanism, syringe mechanism, orvacuum release mechanism. The refillable toothbrush device generallycomprises a head portion having a plurality of bristles for cleaning auser's teeth and a housing having an integrated reservoir for storingtoothpaste. The housing comprises a sliding mechanism that further has aslide tab configured to slide along a channel disposed on the housing topush toothpaste towards the head portion and into the bristles.Alternatively, the housing may feature a syringe-based mechanism or avacuum-pump-based mechanism to move the toothpaste from the reservoir toa conduit which connects to the head portion to dispense the storedtoothpaste into the bristles of the toothbrush.

In this manner, the novel refillable toothbrush device of the presentinvention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides arelatively easy, convenient and portable solution to storing anddispensing toothpaste. The refillable toothbrush device of the presentinvention is also user friendly, as it does not require users tomaintain a separate toothbrush and toothpaste tube. Additionally, thedevice is compact and portable for traveling. Further, a variety ofdifferent mechanisms such as a sliding button, a syringe, a vacuumrelease button, etc., are easy to use for dispensing toothpaste and canbe conveniently used by all users regardless of age, strength, anddexterity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as aprelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodimentthereof, comprises a refillable toothbrush device. The toothbrush deviceis configured to dispense toothpaste onto the bristles using a slidingmechanism. The refillable toothbrush device comprises a head portionhaving a plurality of bristles for cleaning teeth, a housing having anintegrated reservoir for storing toothpaste, and a sliding mechanism fordispensing the toothpaste onto the bristles. The sliding mechanismcomprises a slider component with an associated abutment plate, whereinthe slider component is configured to slide along a sliding channelwhich is disposed on the housing. The abutment plate moves thetoothpaste from the reservoir and pushes the toothpaste towards anopening at the top of the reservoir. A conduit tube extends from thereservoir opening to one or more apertures in the head portion betweenthe bristles. The abutment plate continues to move the toothpastethrough the conduit tube, wherein the conduit tube then dispenses thetoothpaste from the one or more apertures onto the bristles for cleaninga user's teeth.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a toothbrush withintegrated toothpaste dispenser is disclosed. The toothbrush withintegrated toothpaste dispenser is configured to dispense toothpasteusing a plunger mechanism. The device comprises a head portion, ahousing connected to said head portion, a reservoir included within thehousing that stores toothpaste, and a plunger mechanism for dispensingthe toothpaste onto the bristles. The plunger mechanism comprises aplunger disposed at the bottom of the housing, wherein the plungercomprises a plunger flange for pushing a plunger tip into saidreservoir. The plunger tip pushes toothpaste towards a reservoir holepositioned at the top of the reservoir and into a conduit tube. Theconduit tube extends from the reservoir hole to one or more aperturespositioned in the head portion between the bristles. The conduit tubethen dispenses toothpaste from said one or more apertures onto thebristles for cleaning a user's teeth. In a further embodiment of thepresent invention, the reservoir can have a replaceable cartridgecontaining toothpaste and connected to a reservoir opening. The headportion and the housing can also be integrated as a single component orcan be separate components removably attached to each other.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a toothbrushdevice with vacuum release toothpaste dispenser is disclosed. The devicecomprises a vacuum actuator connected to a vacuum pump, the vacuum pumphaving a piston configured to move into an integrated cartridge whichstores the toothpaste. The vacuum pump is activated by the vacuumactuator such that the piston moves into the cartridge to pump thestored toothpaste to an orifice. Then, a pipe extending from the orificeto the plurality of bristles positioned on the head portion of thetoothbrush dispenses the toothpaste. The vacuum actuator may also bedisposed on the housing of the toothbrush, wherein the housing isintegrated with the head portion of the toothbrush. Alternatively, thehousing is removably attached to the head portion to allow forreplacement of the cartridge.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein inconnection with the following description and the annexed drawings.These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various waysin which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and areintended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Otheradvantages and novel features will become apparent from the followingdetailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description refers to provided drawings in which similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and inwhich:

FIG. 1A illustrates a side perspective view of one potential embodimentof a toothbrush device of the present invention which utilizes a slidingmechanism to dispense toothpaste in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture;

FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view disclosing how the toothpaste isdispensed from the brush head onto the bristles of one potentialembodiment of a toothbrush device of the present invention in accordancewith the disclosed architecture;

FIG. 1C illustrates a perspective view disclosing how the toothpaste isdispensed from the brush head onto the bristles of one potentialembodiment of a toothbrush device of the present invention that isfurther comprised of a pressurized toothpaste tube in accordance withthe disclosed architecture;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment ofa toothbrush device of the present invention which utilizes a plungermechanism to dispense toothpaste in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment ofa toothbrush device of the present invention which utilizes a vacuumpump to dispense toothpaste in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment ofa toothbrush device of the present invention which comprises areplaceable toothpaste cartridge in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, whereinlike reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovationcan be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form inorder to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments arediscussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are describedonly to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are notintended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limitthe scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment neednot have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in otherembodiments, any of the features described herein from differentembodiments may be combined.

As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a uniquelydesigned toothbrush device that eliminates the need to keep or carrytoothpaste tubes along with a toothbrush. There is also a long-felt needin the art for an improved toothbrush device that allows users to easilydispense and use toothpaste without keeping separate toothpaste tubes inevery bathroom and that saves drawer space, sink top space, or spacewithin a luggage bag. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the artfor a uniquely designed toothbrush device that offers a way to storeboth a toothbrush and a toothpaste tube in a compact manner andeffectively saves space in bathrooms/luggage bags. Finally, there is along-felt need in the art for a toothpaste dispensing solution that canbe easily used by children and users with limited strength/dexterity andprevents said users from needing assistance from others.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, comprises arefillable toothbrush device that is configured to store and dispensetoothpaste onto its bristles using a sliding mechanism, a syringemechanism, or a vacuum release mechanism. The toothbrush devicecomprises a head portion having a plurality of bristles for cleaning auser's teeth and a hollow handle housing having an integrated reservoirfor storing toothpaste. In differing embodiments, the housing canfeature a slide mechanism, a syringe plunger mechanism, or a vacuum pumpmechanism which moves the toothpaste from inside the reservoir to aconduit connecting the reservoir to the head portion, in order todispense the toothpaste onto the bristles of the toothbrush.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1A illustrates a sideperspective view of one potential embodiment of the toothbrush device100 of the present invention wherein a slider mechanism is used todispense toothpaste 122. Specifically, the toothbrush device 100 isconfigured to dispense toothpaste onto the plurality of bristles 110.The toothbrush device 100 can be a reusable item which allows users torefill the toothpaste reservoir 108 or the toothbrush device 100 can bea disposable item wherein users must purchase a new toothbrush device100 when the toothpaste stored in the reservoir 108 is exhausted.

The toothbrush device 100 comprises a head portion 102 having aplurality of bristles 110 for cleaning a user's teeth. The plurality ofbristles 110 are teeth engaging elements. For example, the plurality ofbristles 110 may include nylon or elastomeric wiping elements thatassist in removing stains from teeth and/or assist with forcingtoothpaste 122 into the tubules of the teeth. The plurality of bristles110 may be manufactured from any other suitable material as is known inthe art. Moreover, while the toothbrush device 100 is exemplified as amanual toothbrush, the toothbrush device 100 can also be anelectrical-powered toothbrush in other embodiments of the invention. Thepreferred length of the head portion 102 and the housing 104 isapproximately 6 inches. The preferred dimensions of the plurality ofbristles 110 is approximately 1 inch long by approximately ¼ to ⅓ incheswide. The preferred length of the tube 112 is approximately 2 inches.

Further, the head portion 102 comprises a cavity 1020 and a tube 112extending up to an aperture 1120 in the head portion 102, which allowstoothpaste 122 stored in the reservoir 108 of the housing 104 to bemoved into the cavity 1020. Specifically, tube 112 is coupled to thereservoir 108 and is used as a conduit to carry toothpaste 122 from thereservoir 108 to the cavity 1020 of the head portion 102, and whereintoothpaste 122 is then dispensed through the aperture 1120 onto theplurality of bristles 110. In an alternative embodiment, the reservoir108 may contain a pre-filled, pressurized tube 1080 of toothpaste 122that can be placed inside the reservoir 108. It is also contemplatedthat in this embodiment, the head portion 102 and housing 104 are hollowsuch that they can receive the tube 1080, wherein the tube 1080 can bereplaced by another tube 1080 when it runs out of toothpaste 122 or canbe reused and refilled. Further, the housing 104 may have a button 1040that allows a user to dispense the toothpaste 122 from the tube 1080 andto the head portion 102, as seen in FIG. 1C.

The head portion 102 may include multiple apertures 1120 to allow thetoothpaste to be dispensed evenly onto the plurality of bristles 110 ofthe toothbrush device 100. To push toothpaste from the reservoir 108 tothe tube 112, a slider 116 with an associated abutment plate 118 isconfigured to be manually moved across a slider channel 114 disposed onthe housing 104 of the toothbrush device 100. In the initial stage, theabutment plate 118 is positioned at the base 1040 of the housing 104.

In the present embodiment, the head portion 102 is also detachable fromthe housing 104 and when the head portion 102 is connected to thehousing 104, they are connected to each other through a rubber fastener120 that can be screwed and unscrewed to detach the head portion 102from the housing 104. The rubber fastener 120 acts as a tight-fitassembly, a coupling sleeve, a threaded engagement, or a fastener, etc.,wherein any other suitable fastener can be used as is known in the art.Alternatively, the head portion 102 and the housing 104 can bemanufactured as a single unitary structure using a molding, milling,machining or other suitable process as is known in the art.Additionally, in an alternate embodiment, the base portion 1040 of thetoothbrush device 100 can be removably attached to allow a user torefill the toothpaste reservoir 108, or the base portion 1040 can bepermanently attached to the housing 104 which requires a user topurchase a new toothbrush device 100 when the toothpaste reservoir 108is empty.

It should be appreciated that the toothbrush device 100 is a compactreadily portable self-contained user-friendly system that includes allof the components necessary for a user to perform a desired oral caretreatment routine. Because the toothpaste reservoir 108 is locatedwithin the housing 104 of the toothbrush device 100 itself, thetoothbrush device 100 is portable for travel, easy to use, and reducesthe amount of required storage space.

FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view disclosing how the toothpaste isdispensed from the brush head onto the bristles of one potentialembodiment of a toothbrush device of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1B, toothpaste 122 is filled in reservoir 108 to allow thetoothbrush device 100 to dispense toothpaste 122 onto the plurality ofbristles 110 through the aperture 1120 on the head portion 102. Whendispensing toothpaste 122 from the reservoir 108, the slider button 116is manually moved along the sliding channel 114 in an upward direction.As the slider button 116 is moved in an upward direction, the abutmentplate 118 which is linearly connected to the slider button 116 alsomoves in an upward direction. As the abutment plate 114 moves, itcontacts the toothpaste 122 within the reservoir 108 and moves thetoothpaste 122 in an upward direction towards a continuous opening 124in the reservoir 108 and into a conduit pipe 112. The reservoir 108 iscoupled to the cavity 1020 in the head portion 102 via the conduit pipe112 which is connected to the opening 124. The toothpaste 122 is thenforced through the conduit pipe 112 and into the cavity 1020 of the headportion 102, where a portion of the toothpaste 122 flows throughaperture 1120 and is dispensed onto the plurality of bristles 110 foruse.

A portion of the housing 104 can be transparent or translucent allowinga user to determine the amount of toothpaste 122 present within thereservoir 108 and accordingly refill the reservoir 108 as needed.Further, the sliding channel 114 would be positioned along thenon-transparent or non-translucent portion of the housing 104.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of thetoothbrush device 100 of the present invention. In the presentembodiment, a syringe-based toothbrush device 200 comprises a housing204 integrated with a toothpaste reservoir 212 and having a plunger 206positioned at the bottom 2040 of the housing 204. The plunger 206utilizes a plunger flange 208 and a plunger tip 222 that is configuredto move within the reservoir 212. The reservoir 212 acts a barrel forthe plunger 206 and stores the toothpaste 122. The reservoir 212 isdisposed within the housing 204 and comprises a hollow space to storetoothpaste 122. The reservoir 212 is connected to the head portion 202via a conduit tube 214. Thus, when the plunger flange 208 of plunger 206is dispensed, plunger tip 222 contacts the toothpaste 122 within thereservoir 212 and pushes the toothpaste 122 through a continuousreservoir opening 216 to the conduit tube 214.

Specifically, when the plunger flange 208 is pushed, the plunger 206moves inside the reservoir 212 through the bottom surface 2040 of thehousing 204 and activates the plunger tip 222. The plunger tip 222 thencontacts the toothpaste 122 within the reservoir 212 and pushes thetoothpaste 122 upwards toward the conduit tube 214 through the reservoiropening 216. The toothpaste 122 then moves through the conduit tube 214and into the head cavity 2020. A portion of the toothpaste 122 thenflows through aperture or hole 218 present in the head portion 202 andis dispensed onto the plurality of bristles 210 for use. The headportion 202 comprises one aperture 218, but may include a plurality oftiny apertures to dispense the toothpaste 122 from the head cavity 2020onto the plurality of bristles 210 of the toothbrush device 200.

In operation, moving the plunger tip 222 in the reservoir 212 createsexcessive air pressure within the reservoir 212 which increases as theplunger tip 222 moves. This build-up of air pressure acts to forciblysqueeze the toothpaste 122 out from the reservoir 212, through theconduit tube 214, into the aperture/hole 218, and then onto theplurality of bristles 210. Thus, a user can adjust the amount oftoothpaste 122 that is dispensed onto the plurality of bristles 210 bypushing more or less air into the reservoir 212 via the plunger tip 222.

When refilling the reservoir 212 in the present embodiment, the headportion 202 and the housing 204 are removably attached through connector220. The connector 220 acts as a tight-fit assembly, a coupling sleeve,a threaded engagement, or a fastener, etc., or any other suitablefastening device as is known in the art. Alternatively, the head portion202 and the housing 204 of the toothbrush device 200 of the presentembodiment are manufactured as a single unitary structure using amolding, milling, machining or any other suitable process as is known inthe art.

It should be appreciated that since the toothbrush device 100 of thepresent invention comprises an integrated toothpaste reservoir 108, 212and dispensing means, the user is less likely to misplace the toothpaste122 and will be more inclined to maintain their oral treatment routine.Further, the reservoir 108, 212 or the toothpaste chamber can be filleddirectly via any conventional toothpaste 122 tube known in the art, orthe consumer can utilize a toothpaste cartridge in the reservoir 108,122 or the toothpaste chamber.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment ofa toothbrush device 300 of the present invention. In the presentembodiment, the toothbrush device 300 comprises an integrated toothpastecartridge 302 which has a vacuum pump 304 that allows the toothpaste 122within the toothpaste cartridge 302 to be pumped up from the cartridge302 to an orifice 306 and then dispensed onto the plurality of bristles308 of the head portion 310. The head portion 310 typically comprises acavity 3100 that is filled with toothpaste 122 from a conduit tube 312.The conduit tube 312 connects the cavity 3100 to the orifice 306 andcartridge 302. Toothpaste 122 pumped up from the cartridge 302 via thevacuum pump 304 enters the orifice 306 and travels through the conduittube 312 to the cavity 3100 of the head portion 310. Once the cavity3100 is filled with toothpaste 122, the toothpaste 122 is dispensed intothe plurality of bristles 308 of the toothbrush device 300 through anaperture/hole 3102 on the bristle base 3104. Further, the bristle base3104 may include one or more tiny apertures 3102 to evenly dispensetoothpaste 122 from the cavity 3100 into the plurality of bristles 308of the toothbrush device 300.

Furthermore, the toothbrush device 300 comprises a hollow handle housing316 with a removable base 314 that allows a user to refill or replacethe cartridge 302 when empty by removing the base 314 from the housing316. Specifically, once the installed cartridge 302 is completelydepleted, the base 314 is removed to replace the empty cartridge with anew cartridge containing toothpaste 122. The base 314 is then resecuredand the housing 316 is integrated with the head portion 310 such thattoothpaste 122 easily moves up to the orifice 306.

When a vacuum actuator 318 is pushed, the vacuum pump 304 pushes apiston 320 within the cartridge 302 forcing the toothpaste 122 to pumpand dispense through the orifice 306 up the conduit tube 312 and ontothe plurality of bristles 308 of the head portion 310. When the vacuumactuator 318 is released, the piston 320 is removed from the cartridge302 allowing the remaining toothpaste 122 to remain within the cartridge302 and not be pumped out. Specifically, the vacuum actuator 318 iscoupled to the vacuum pump 304 and is configured to operate the pump 304to dispense the toothpaste 122. The vacuum pump 304 is in the form of areciprocating piston pump, or any other suitable pump as is known in theart.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of another potential embodiment ofa toothbrush device 400 of the present invention. The present embodimentis essentially similar to the embodiment described above in FIG. 3. Thetoothbrush device 400 comprises a head portion 402 and a housing 404wherein both the head portion 402 and the housing 404 are removablysecured to each other. The head portion 402 and the housing 404 in thepresent embodiment are detachable and are connected to each otherthrough a rubber fastener 420 that can be screwed and unscrewed todetach the head portion 402 and the housing 404. The rubber fastener 420acts as a tight-fit assembly, a coupling sleeve, a threaded engagement,or a fastener, etc., or any other suitable fastening device as is knownin the art.

The housing 404 further comprises a toothpaste cartridge 406 that can berefilled or replaced by detaching the housing 404 from the head portion402. Once the housing 404 is removed from the head portion 402, theinstalled cartridge 406 can be replaced with a new cartridge containingtoothpaste 122. The housing 404 further comprises a vacuum pump 408 thatis actuated using a vacuum actuator 410. The vacuum pump 408 isconnected to a piston 413 that allows the toothpaste 122 in thecartridge 406 to be pumped up from the cartridge 406, enter the orifice412, travel through a conduit tube 312 to the cavity 4020 of the headportion 402, and then be dispensed onto the bristles 414.

When a vacuum actuator 410 is pushed, the vacuum pump 408 actuates thepiston 413 within the cartridge 406 forcing the toothpaste 122 to pumpand be dispensed through the orifice 412 towards the head cavity 4020,and onto the plurality of bristles 414 through an aperture 4024 on thebristle base 4022 of the head portion 402. When the vacuum actuator 410is released, the piston 413 is removed from the cartridge 406 allowingthe remaining toothpaste 122 to remain within the cartridge 406. Thevacuum actuator 410 is coupled to the vacuum pump 408 and is configuredto actuate the pump 408 to dispense the toothpaste 122. The vacuum pump408 is in the form of a reciprocating piston pump, but can be anysuitable pump as is known in the art.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claimsto refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the artwill appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature orcomponent by different names. This document does not intend todistinguish between components or features that differ in name but notstructure or function. As used “toothbrush with integrated toothpastedispenser”, “refillable toothbrush device”, “toothbrush device”, and“device” are interchangeable and refer to the toothbrush device 100,200, 300, 400 of the present invention.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300, 400of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configurationas is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of theinvention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives.One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size,configuration, and material of the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300, 400as shown in FIGS. 1-4 is for illustrative purposes only, and that manyother sizes and shapes of the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300, 400 arewell within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensionsof the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300, 400 are important designparameters for user convenience, the toothbrush device 100, 200, 300,400 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during useand/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplaryembodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. While the embodiments described above refer to particularfeatures, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments havingdifferent combinations of features and embodiments that do not includeall of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the presentinvention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications,and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with allequivalents thereof.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subjectmatter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivablecombination of components or methodologies for purposes of describingthe claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art mayrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimedsubject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter isintended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variationsthat fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toothbrush device configured to store anddispense a toothpaste onto a plurality of bristles, the toothbrushdevice comprising: a head portion comprising the plurality of bristlesand a cavity; a housing comprising a reservoir; and a conduit tubeconnecting the cavity to the reservoir, wherein toothpaste is storedwithin the reservoir and dispensed from the reservoir through theconduit tube to the cavity and then onto the plurality of bristles. 2.The toothbrush device of claim 1, wherein toothpaste is dispensed fromthe reservoir via a slider mechanism.
 3. The toothbrush device of claim2, wherein the slider mechanism comprises a slider with an associatedabutment plate and a slider channel disposed on the housing.
 4. Thetoothbrush device of claim 3, wherein the slider is configured to bemanually moved across the slider channel.
 5. The toothbrush device ofclaim 4, wherein the abutment plate moves in an upward direction withinthe reservoir and contacts the toothpaste in the reservoir pushing itupwards toward the conduit tube.
 6. The toothbrush device of claim 1further comprising an aperture in each of the plurality of bristles fordispensing toothpaste onto the plurality of bristles.
 7. The toothbrushdevice of claim 1, wherein the head portion is detachable from thehousing.
 8. The toothbrush device of claim 7, wherein the head portionis secured to the housing via a rubber fastener.
 9. The toothbrushdevice of claim 1, wherein the head portion and the housing aremanufactured as a single structure.
 10. A toothbrush device configuredto store and dispense a toothpaste onto a plurality of bristles, thetoothbrush device comprising: a head portion comprising a plurality ofbristles and a cavity; a housing comprising a reservoir with a plungerpositioned at a bottom of the housing; and a conduit tube connecting thecavity to the reservoir, wherein toothpaste is stored within thereservoir and dispensed from the reservoir through the conduit tube tothe cavity and then onto the plurality of bristles.
 11. The toothbrushdevice of claim 10, wherein the plunger utilizes a plunger flange and aplunger tip.
 12. The toothbrush device of claim 11, wherein thereservoir acts as a barrel for the plunger.
 13. The toothbrush device ofclaim 12, wherein when the plunger flange of the plunger is dispensedthe plunger tip contacts the toothpaste within the reservoir.
 14. Thetoothbrush device of claim 13, wherein when the plunger tip contacts thetoothpaste the plunger tip pushes the toothpaste through a reservoiropening to the conduit tube.
 15. The toothbrush device of claim 10further comprising an aperture in each of the plurality of bristles fordispensing toothpaste onto the plurality of bristles.
 16. A toothbrushdevice configured to store and dispense a toothpaste onto a plurality ofbristles, the toothbrush comprising: a head portion comprising aplurality of bristles and a cavity; a housing comprising a toothpastecartridge with a vacuum pump; and a conduit tube connecting the cavityto the toothpaste cartridge, wherein toothpaste is dispensed via thevacuum pump from the toothpaste cartridge through the conduit tube tothe cavity and then onto the plurality of bristles.
 17. The toothbrushdevice of claim 16, wherein a vacuum actuator engages the vacuum pumpwhich pushes a piston within the toothpaste cartridge.
 18. Thetoothbrush device of claim 17, wherein when the vacuum actuator ispushed the piston within the toothpaste cartridge forces the toothpasteto be pushed up the conduit tube to the cavity and onto the plurality ofbristles.
 19. The toothbrush device of claim 18, wherein when the vacuumactuator is released the piston is removed from the toothpaste cartridgeallowing remaining toothpaste to remain within the toothbrush cartridgeand not be pumped out.
 20. The toothbrush device of claim 19, whereinthe housing comprises a removable base that allows a user to replace thetoothpaste cartridge when empty.